The week ahead on NFL Network

NFL Network & NFL.com programming Notes (12/21 - 12/28)

Carolina Panthers-Pittsburgh Steelers meet on Thursday Night Football at 8 p.m. ET

Special Christmas edition of Thursday Night Football features Dallas Cowboys - Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Top 10 Pittsburgh Steelers debuts on Christmas Eve at 8 p.m.

More Than 12 Hours of Cowboys coverage on Christmas Day starting at 11:30 a.m., including Bill Parcells and Tom Landry specials

Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears - Thursday 6-8 p.m. - Deion Sanders 1-on-1 Interview with Steelers Hines Ward

Thursday Night Football coverage begins at 6 p.m. with Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears. Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders and Kara Henderson are live on the scene at Heinz Field, while Fran Charles, Kurt Warner, Sterling Sharpe, Jim Mora and Jay Glazer are live from Los Angeles. Jason La Canfora provides NFL news reports. The two-hour pregame show features:

» Deion Sanders' sit down interview with Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward

» Preview of the Week 16 games

Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers at 8 p.m.:

» Bob Papa (PxP), Matt Millen and Joe Theismann (analysts) with Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter)

The Sprint Halftime Show will air live from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Eisen, Faulk, Mariucci and Sanders will discuss and analyze the first half of Panthers-Steelers, while Henderson and Flanagan provide halftime reports.

Special Christmas Edition of Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears- Saturday 5-7:30 p.m. - Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin Pregame Show Guest Analyst

A special Christmas edition of Thursday Night Football begins at 5 p.m. with Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears. Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders and Kara Henderson are live on the scene at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. NFL GameDay Morning and NFL GameDay Final analyst Michael Irvin will join the crew in Arizona as a guest analyst on the pregame show, before calling the game as a color commentator for Westwood One radio. Jason La Canfora provides NFL news reports.

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals at 7:30 p.m.:

Bob Papa (PxP),* Matt Millen* and Joe Theismann (analysts) with Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter)

The Sprint Halftime Show will air live from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Eisen, Faulk, Mariucci and Sanders will discuss and analyze the first half of Cowboys-Cardinals, while Henderson and Flanagan provide halftime reports.

This week on NFL GameDay Morning: Chicago QB Jay Cutler Sits Down for Interview with Marshall Faulk

Sunday is NFL GameDay on NFL Network, starting at 9 a.m. with NFL GameDay Morning. Host Rich Eisen joins Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp for the first and most comprehensive pregame show every Sunday. Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler sits down for an interview with Marshall Faulk to discuss winning the NFC North and advancing to the playoffs for the first time in his career.

The crew looks back at the Philadelphia Eagles' improbable win over the New York Giants last week at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Trailing 31-10 in the fourth quarter, the Eagles scored 28 consecutive points in the final 7:28 of the game to come from behind to defeat the Giants 38-31. Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson scored on a 65-yard punt return as time expired - the only game-winning punt return touchdown with no time remaining in NFL history.

Also, with the Giants and Packers each coming off difficult losses from the previous week, which team will bounce back in a game full of playoff implications? And which team - the Jets or the Bears - will emerge victorious in a battle of 10-4 teams?

» Jason La Canfora reports from Chicago for Jets-Bears

» Michael Lombardi reports from Kansas City for Titans-Chiefs

» Albert Breer reports from Green Bay for Giants-Packers

» Stacey Dales reports from Oakland for Colts-Raiders

Top 10 Pittsburgh Steelers debuts on Friday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m.

The popular Top 10 series debuts its latest episode, Top 10 Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. in HD, one day after the Steelers' game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football.

The hour-long episode reveals the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of all-time, counting down from 10 to 1, and includes interviews with former NFL players and media personalities.

From Terry Bradshaw to Joe Greene, Rod Woodson to Franco Harris, some of the greatest and most iconic players in NFL history have donned the black and gold. Simply put, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made an indelible mark on the NFL.

Below are video links to previews of the episode:

» Rod Woodson:  Preview

» Hines Ward:Preview

Twelve Hours of Dallas Cowboys Coverage on Christmas Day Beginning at 11:30 a.m. Includes Bill Parcells: Reflections on a Life in Football and Tom Landry: The NFL's Man in the Hat

As part of 12 hours of Dallas Cowboys coverage on Christmas Day beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET, the NFL Films-produced documentaries Bill Parcells: Reflections on a Life in Football and Tom Landry: The NFL's Man in the Hat will be shown on Saturday, Dec. 25. Parcells will air at 2:30 p.m., followed by Landry at 4 p.m..

Parcells is a 90-minute documentary which features sit-down interviews with Parcells, former players and NFL executives, a visit to his house and rare footage from practices, meetings, games and time away from the football field. It offers extraordinary insight into the coach who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, took the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl and was the architect who built the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins into playoff contenders during his tenure.

Landry is an hour-long documentary that looks into the life of one of the NFL's most successful coaches in history and the powerful impact he had on his players, the city of Dallas and the league as a whole. People interviewed for the documentary include former Dallas players Mike Ditka, Drew Pearson and Thomas Henderson, Landry's wife Alicia Landry, and Landry's former teammate with the New York GiantsFrank Gifford.

The following is the Christmas schedule that includes more than 12 hours of Cowboys related programming:

» 11:30 a.m.- NFL's Top 10:Dallas Cowboys

» 12:30 p.m. - America's Game: 1993 Dallas Cowboys (HD)

» 1:30 p.m. - America's Game: 1995 Dallas Cowboys (HD)

» 2:30 p.m. - Bill Parcells: Reflections on a Life in Football (HD)

» 4:00 p.m. - Tom Landry: The NFL's Man in the Hat (HD)

» 5 p.m. - Special Christmas Edition Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears (HD) - LIVE

» 7:30 p.m. - Special Christmas Edition Thursday Night Football:Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals (HD) - LIVE

» 10:30 p.m. -* Kay Jewelers Postgame Show* (HD) - LIVE

» 11 p.m. - NFL Total Access: Postgame recap of Cowboys vs. Cardinals (HD)

This week on Around the League and NFL Total Access: Baltimore's Ray Rice, Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson, Dallas' Jason Witten and New Orleans' Darren Sharper

Wednesday, Dec. 22

Around the League:

» Baltimore running back Ray Rice via Team Cam

» NFL Insider with Michael Lombardi

» Albert Breer reports from East Rutherford

» Steve Wyche reports from Pittsburgh

NFL Total Access:

» Philadelphia wide receiver DeSean Jackson via Team Cam

» NFL Insider with Jason La Canfora

» Steve Wyche reports from Pittsburgh

Thursday, Dec. 23

Around the League:Thursday Night Football preview

» Cowboys tight end Jason Witten via Team Cam

» Thursday Night Football game analysts Joe Theismann and Matt Millen preview Panthers-Steelers from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh

» Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci and Deion Sanders preview Panthers-Steelers

» Kara Henderson reports from Heinz Field

» NFL Insider with Jason La Canfora

Friday, Dec. 24

Around the League:

» Albert Breer reports from New England

» Steve Wyche reports from Arizona

NFL Total Access:

» New Orleans safety Darren Sharper via Team Cam

» Albert Breer reports from New England

» Steve Wyche reports from Arizona

This week on Playbook

Tuesday 6 p.m. - Playbook with Sterling Sharpe, Mike Mayock and Brian Baldinger:

» How the Eagles came back to stun the Giants at the New Meadowlands

» How the Colts beat the Jaguars to get back in the driver's seat in the AFC South

Wednesday 6 p.m. - Playbook with Sterling Sharpe, Mike Mayock and Brian Baldinger:

» How important is Troy Polamalu to the Steelers defense?

» Should Jason Garrett be the man to lead the Cowboys in 2011?

Friday noon - AFC Playbook with Charles Davis, Brian Billick and Michael Lombardi:

» How can Peyton Manning and the Colts seal the deal on another division title?

» Can anyone stop the Chargers from repeating as AFC West champs?

» How can the Ravens offense find its rhythm in time for the playoffs?

Friday at 6 p.m. - NFC Playbook with Charles Davis, Brian Billick and Michael Lombardi:

» How can the Packers prevent the Giants from getting back on track in the NFC wild card race?

» Can the Saints stop the Falcons from clinching the NFC South?

» Are the Eagles the team to beat in the NFC?

This week on NFL.com: NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football Presented by Applebee's

Wednesday, Dec. 22

» CHAT: Mike Mayock (11:30 a.m.)

» CHAT:* Jason La Canfora (noon)*

Thursday, Dec. 23

» CHAT: Steve Wyche (NOON)

» CHAT: Bob Papa (1 p.m.)

» CHAT: Albert Breer (2 p.m.)

» 8 p.m. - NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football Presented by Applebee's: A live show throughout Panthers vs. Steelers with "live look-ins" of the action, reports from* Kara Henderson* and Steve Wyche on the field covering both teams, in-game highlights and analysis from Paul Burmeister, Jamie Dukes and Bucky Brooks in Los Angeles, plus 'Instant Playbook' from NFL Network's Mike Mayock at NFL Films.

Friday, Dec. 24

» CHAT: Fantasy Focus (noon)

» CHAT: Vic Carucci (1 p.m.)

Saturday, Dec. 25

» 7:30 p.m. - NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football Presented by Applebee's: A live show throughout Cowboys vs. Cardinals with "live look-ins" of the action, reports from Kara Henderson and Steve Wyche on the field covering both teams, in-game highlights and analysis from Paul Burmeister, Jamie Dukes and Bucky Brooks in Los Angeles, plus 'Instant Playbook' from NFL Network's Mike Mayock at NFL Films.

Sunday, Dec. 26

» CHAT: Fantasy Live (10 a.m.)

» 11:30 a.m. - NFL Fantasy LIVE with Michelle Beisner, Michael Fabiano and* Dave Dameshek* delivers the most up to date information for your fantasy team to have a record-setting day

» Day-by-day programming schedule (all times listed are ET)

Tuesday, Dec. 21

» 4 p.m. - Around the League (HD) - LIVE

» 6 p.m. - Playbook (HD)

» 7 p.m. - NFL Total Access (HD)

» 8 p.m. - NFL Full Game Re-Air: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants (HD)

» 10:30 p.m. - Best of Sound FX: Mike Holmgren HD)

» 11 p.m. - NFL Total Access (HD)

» Midnight - Playbook (HD)

Wednesday, Dec. 22

» Noon - Playbook (HD)

» 1 p.m. - NFL Full Game Re-Air: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants (HD)

» 3:30 p.m. - Best of Sound FX: Mike Holmgren (HD)

» 4 p.m. - Around the League (HD) - LIVE

» 6 p.m. - Playbook (HD)

» 7 p.m. - NFL Total Access (HD)

» 8 p.m. - NFL Replay:New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore Ravens (HD)

» 9:15 p.m. - NFL Replay:New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

» 10:30 p.m. - Sound FX: 2010, Week 15 (HD)

» 11 p.m. - NFL Total Access (HD)

» Midnight - Playbook (HD)

Thursday, Dec. 23

» Noon- Playbook (HD)

» 1 p.m. - NFL Replay:New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore Ravens (HD)

» 2:15 p.m. - NFL Replay:New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

» 3:30 p.m.- Sound FX: 2010, Week 15 (HD)

» 4 p.m.- Around the League (HD) - LIVE

» 6 p.m.- Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears (HD) - LIVE

» 8 p.m. - Thursday Night Football: Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD) - LIVE

» 11:30 p.m. - Kay Jewelers Postgame Show (HD) - LIVE

» Midnight- NFL Total Access: Postgame recap of Panthers vs. Steelers (HD)

Friday, Dec. 24

» Noon- Playbook: AFC (HD)

» 1 p.m.- Best of Sound FX: Mike Holmgren (HD)

» 1:30 p.m.-* Sound FX:* 2010, Week 15 (HD)

» 2 p.m. - America's Game: 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

» 3 p.m. - America's Game: 1992 Dallas Cowboys (HD)

» 4 p.m. - Around the League (HD) - LIVE

» 6 p.m. - Playbook: NFC (HD)

» 7 p.m. - NFL Total Access (HD)

» 8 p.m. - NFL's Top 10:Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

» 9 p.m. - NFL's Top 10:Dallas Cowboys

» 10 p.m. - Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players: #50-41 (HD)

» 11 p.m.- NFL Total Access (HD)

» Midnight - Playbook: AFC (HD)

Saturday, Dec. 25

» 7 a.m.- NFL Films Presents: Dave Krieg and Fort Campbell

» 7:30 a.m.- Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players: #50-41 (HD)

» 8:30 a.m. - Playbook: NFC (HD)

» 9:30 a.m. - Playbook: AFC (HD)

» 10:30 a.m. -* NFL Films Presents:* Dave Krieg and Fort Campbell (HD)

» 11 a.m. -* Super Bowl XLIII:* Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals (HD)

» 11:30 a.m. -* NFL's Top 10:* Dallas Cowboys

» 12:30 p.m. -* America's Game:* 1993 Dallas Cowboys (HD)

» 1:30 p.m. - America's Game: 1995 Dallas Cowboys (HD)

» 2:30 p.m. - Bill Parcells: Reflections on a Life in Football (HD)

» 4 p.m. - Tom Landry: The NFL's Man in the Hat (HD)

» 5 p.m. - Special Christmas Edition Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears (HD) - LIVE

» 7:30 p.m. - Special Christmas Edition Thursday Night Football:Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals (HD) - LIVE

» 10:30 p.m. - Kay Jewelers Postgame Show (HD) - LIVE

» 11 p.m. - NFL Total Access: Postgame recap of Cowboys vs. Cardinals (HD)

Sunday, Dec. 26

» 'NFL GameDay'

» 9 a.m.- NFL GameDay Morning (HD)

» 1 p.m. - NFL GameDay StatZone (HD)

» 4 p.m. -* NFL GameDay Scoreboard* (HD)

» 7:30 p.m. - NFL GameDay Highlights (HD)

» 11:30 p.m. - NFL GameDay Overtime (HD)

» Midnight - NFL GameDay Final (HD)

Monday, Dec. 27

» 3 p.m. - NFL Replay Real-Time: 2010, Week 16 (HD)

» 4 p.m. - Around the League (HD) - LIVE

» 6 p.m. - Up to the Minute (HD)

» 6:30 p.m. - The Coaches Show (HD)

» 7 p.m. - NFL Total Access (HD)

» 8:30 p.m. - The Coaches Show (HD)

» 9 p.m. - America's Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

» 10 p.m. - The Coaches Show (HD)

» 10:30 p.m. - America's Game: 2003 New England Patriots (HD)

» 11:30 p.m. - NFL Total Access: Monday Night Football Pressers (HD)

Tuesday, Dec. 28

» Noon - NFL Replay Real-Time: 2010, Week 16 (HD)

» 1 p.m. - NFL's Top 10:Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

» 2 p.m. - NFL's Top 10:Dallas Cowboys

» 3 p.m. - NFL's Top 10: Greatest Hands

» 4 p.m. - Around the League (HD) - LIVE

» 6 p.m. - Playbook (HD)

» 7 p.m. - Special NFL Total Access:Pro Bowl Selection (HD)

» Field Pass Block (8-11 p.m.)

» 8 p.m. - NFL Replay (HD)

» 9:15 p.m. - NFL Replay (HD)

» 10:30 p.m. - Best of Sound FX:Tony Romo (HD)